Ho Chi Minh's Sledgehammer Blow

I felt ready to head back to the hotel but decide to have a look around the city for a while. It was coming up to midday and the sun was blazing high in the cloudless blue sky. I was loving it and definitely didn't envy the poor people back in the UK in the middle of November. Ho Chi Minh City is not the prettiest city but it does have a huge amount of backpackers passing through it everyday so can be a great place to meet fellow travellers and swap stories over a beer. To avoid the worst of the heat I sat outside a small restaurant with an ice cold sprite and tucked into an arrangement of rice, meat and spicy sauce. Whatever the food was it tasted amazing and if it was anything to go by I was looking forward to a lot more of this in Vietnam. After lunch and a walk back along the river to the hotel I had a quick nap and a shower to get ready to go and have a drink. I skipped down the stairs and into the foyer but was suddenly hit by what felt like a sledge hammer to the head and heart and I could not believe my eyes. 

A Fresh Start In 'Saigon'

Ho Chi Minh City Airport was a world apart from anywhere I had landed before, it was used by the South Vietnamese and US forces in the Vietnam War. Taxiing to the stand it felt like we were landing in a working military airbase. Walking through arrivals however you could have been in any other airport anywhere in the world. The flight in had been smooth and comfortable but the best part had been the cabin crew. They were all absolutely gorgeous and the most helpful, smiley staff I had ever had. The taxi to the hotel in the 'Saigon' district of the city was also pleasant, luck appeared to be on my side with no mishaps so far. I felt great, partly because I had left Bangkok which had been nothing but a pain from landing to taking off but mainly because I had overcome the jet lag and my body was starting to acclimatise to the continuous scorching heat. I was once again ready for the trip, whatever it had to throw at me. I decided to go for a walk as the hotel was pretty quiet. Benh Than Market was a bustling and vibrant place with seemingly almost everything and anything on offer all under one roof from bright, silk scarves to live crabs and frogs. I was mobbed as soon as my foot fell inside the doors. There seemed to be at least two or three people hanging off each arm pulling me towards there stalls and more sellers with merchandise in my face. Feeling a bit stranded I became very rude and aggressive but soon cut myself off remembering that I didn't want another incident similar to Hualampong Station. This was definitely something I was going to have to address sooner rather than later.

Read From The beginning

 DVZGY57M79EV

It's All Coming Together

I really do like a challenge but right then all I wanted to do was be at home. I couldnt believe the day that had unfolded: I had been lost and chased and was almost broke. Totally exhausted and emotionally drained I collapsed on the bed and drifted off to sleep. When I woke at 4:30am I was absolutely starving, I realised then that I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast the day before. Just round the corner was a 24hr 7-Eleven so I popped in and bought the cheapest thing they had, which happened to be some kind of chocolate bread. It was so good that I bought another to have for lunch. The same peaceful start to another day in Bangkok at Lumphini park was exactly what I needed to relax before going off to the embassy. The one thing that did slightly get my heart racing however was a splash from the lake and a metre long monitor lizard jumping out and running up the bank towards me. I darted up from the grass and jumped over a bench. Looking back I had to laugh, it hadn't been coming at me at all, it had just been going for a rat that was running along the waterline. I was slightly embarrassed having leapt a bench to get away but it put me in very good spirits for the rest of the day. Having applied for my visa I headed back to Cozy, I thought it was about time I tried to get my cash card sorted. Looking online I found their international assistance number and used my last 100 Baht to use the phone. I could not believe what had happened, I had locked it with the wrong PIN number it was actually 4-6-3-3. I felt like a lot of lesson had been learnt but still couldn't quite grasp the shipwreck that had been the last few days. They had definitely been an adventure and a steep learning curve in how to be prepared for the future.


Read From The Beginning

The Chase

I sprinted across the road without a care for the cars and bikes coming at me. Getting through the parked vehicles outside the station and running through the doors I took a left straight into the crowds of passengers waiting to board. The driver was still there and searching for me so I bolted out of a side entrance near the ticket office which opened onto the taxi rank. I got some very strange looks while running across the road and skirting back round to the front of Hualampong. I hid in a crowd on the other side of the road. He strode out of the doors with his head up and chest puffed out. He was looking around for me but luckily couldn't see what he wanted. My heart was pounding in my chest and I was sweating so much from the adrenaline and the muggy heat. I thought I should probably get out of the area for a while so went up a block and flagged a taxi down to take me to the AirAsia office. The staff at the office were a fantastic help but it did cost 2,500 Baht to push my flight forward a day. The Vietnam visa would be 2000 and the taxi was 100 so I had 400 Baht left to last two days.
Next: It's All Coming Together
Read From The Beginning

Tuk-Tuk, What Have You Done Now?

What was I going to do now? Shuffling back down Wireless Road with my head sunk and with no ideas I felt drained and depressed. Luck hadn't been on my side so far in this trip and I was desperately hoping that this wasn't a sign of things to come. Back at Cozy I sat slumped against the wall of my room and sobbed myself to sleep. Waking an hour later I still had no real clue about how to solve this, I had no phone and only five thousand bhat (£95) left. I knew I would have to change my flight so checked the AirAsia website but as the flight was less than 48 hours away I could not change it, the site did say however that there was an office in Bangkok. I began to perk up, there was hope. Waving a tuk-tuk down was easy and I was on my way to the office, I was feeling good again. We pulled up outside a tailors and the driver explained that if I went in and had a look round for five minutes he would get his free petrol. I pleaded with the him that I was in such a rush as the office shut in an hour but he was adamant. The tailors was plush and looked too expensive especially on my current budget. After five minutes I jumped back in and off we went. I remember exactly what he said.

“you buy?”

“No, too expensive.” I replied

“Why you no buy?”

“too expensive!” reiterating what I'd said

“where you go now?” he shouted

Suddenly he had no idea where Khao San Road was and within five minutes we were back at Hualampong station. Climbing out I gave him 10 baht and walked off in a huff. My tight budget and deadline made me hesitant to use a taxi so looked for another tuk-tuk. One relaxed looking driver beckoned me over and I told him where I wanted to go and that I definitely couldn't go to a tailors because I had no time. From nowhere he shouted “I attack you!” and came at me. Instantly I took off not knowing where to run, the train station now seemed like the best option.


Read From The Beginning

Just One More Day

I began the next day in peace after watching the serene, synchronised movements of Tai Chi in Lumphini park against the backdrop of the rising sun. Each group brought their own fascinating style from the graceful flow of silk scarves to the precise efficiency of swords, I knew I would come back the next day to relax away from the manic streets that were beyond its walls. I sat on the metro for the third time and still couldn't get over how clean it was. I rode it to Silom station and headed up Wireless Road to find the Vietnamese Embassy. Eventually I found it after passing it twice, I must have missed it whilst watching in amazement at the American Embassy that dwarfed the Vietnamese site on the opposite side of the road. I smiled to myself at the statement that was being made and headed inside the much smaller gates but was immediately stopped by security who explained that the embassy was shut due to a national holiday and it wouldn't be open until ten the next day! I began to realise what that meant and my heart sank. My flight to Ho Chi Minh was at 11am in two days time and I couldn't get a visa in time. Visas took one day to process and that was one day I didn't have.


Next:Tuk-tuks, What Have You Done Now?

Read From The Beginning

The Exhilaration Of Relief

I couldn't believe it, I had come all this way and now had no money. Not knowing what to do I headed back to the guesthouse to try and think and relax. I suddenly remembered what my fantastic parents had given me just before I got on the train. It wasn't something I would have ever thought of but I was now so grateful that they had. One hundred pounds worth of travellers cheques would at least last the three days I had left in Bangkok before flying out to Ho Chi Minh City and I could get the card sorted before then. The pure relief was so exhilarating! I headed downstairs with the ear to ear smile I hoped would gravitate people to me. Five or six people were milling around and chatting in the lounge I walked up and said hi to a beautiful blonde girl and exaggerated the cheesy smile. She smiled back and we began chatting for an hour or so then she said goodbye and good luck, grabbed her bags and got in a taxi to the airport for her flight to India. I could not believe how well I had done; I had not felt scared or embarrassed at all, it was a rush to be so relaxed around someone. Before she left she had given me her 'South-East Asia On A Shoestring' book that would undoubtedly be invaluable throughout the trip.


Next: Just One More Day
Read From The Beginning

Bangkok and Bust

Cozy Bangkok Guesthouse was a few minutes walk from Hualampong train station where the Taxi had dropped me off and charged me five hundred Baht for the journey. I was hesitant to argue but had read that it should be three hundred. After a slightly lacklustre complaint I handed it over and jumped out. Walking into Cozy I was greeted by two golden retrievers, one old and charming and the other a bounding puppy. The broad smile from the owner was then just what I needed. The short walk had been an eye opener to the chaotic and tiring streets of Bangkok. Crossing only one road and dodging the line of scooters that thought the pavement was a bike lane had taken a lot out of me, especially after the long flight. All I could think about then was sleep and I soon found what I was looking for, a big comfortable bed in a quiet room with a huge ceiling fan. I curled up under the sheets only to wake two hours later sweating, I had forgotten to turn the fan on. It was midday by my watch and I thought I should stay up to try and avoid jet-lag. The midday heat was stifling and I was struggling to acclimatise from the cold November evening I had left the day before. If I didn't need money I would have stayed in Cozy all day watching the amazing films on Star Movies or HBO but I had to get some food and had used all my Baht on the room and the taxi. I soon found a cash machine, popped my card in and entered my PIN. I was shocked by the response I got “There has been a problem, please try again”. I entered it again 6-4-3-3 but with the same response, I got the same chill travel up my spine I had felt in my bedroom, I was now panicking. I tried two more cash machines further up the street but got the same response “There has been a problem, please try again”.  


Next: The Surprising Exhilaration Of Relief
Read From The Beginning

A Smooth Landing

The landing of the Boeing 777 was so smooth I couldn't tell whether we had landed or not. I only realised when the pilot engaged the reverse thrust that we were on the ground. As soon as we had stopped at the gate hundreds of flustered and tired passengers unclipped there seatbelts and rushed for their overhead bags. I couldn't understand why on every flight I have ever been on people did this. I had a theory that it may have partially been nicotine withdraw for some and sheer competition or claustrophobia for others. I was in no hurry, I couldn't check into my hostel for another 5 hours so sat watching everyone and listening to my music ( I think it was Florence and The Machine at the time). I was excited that I had already met a fellow traveller, Karl was heading to China to marry his girlfriend and teach English. He had met her on his last visit and couldn't wait to get back to see her but was a little preoccupied about the thought of living away from the UK. At our Mumbai transfer we wished each other the best of luck and went our separate ways. I was genuinely happy for him he seemed really nice, I hope everything worked out as planned. I pulled my bag from underneath the seat and waited for the crowd to pass, got up and made my way down the aisle. Walking through arrivals felt like I was back at Heathrow, there was no huge difference between the two airports. It took a while to get through Passport control and customs but was soon enough in the queue for the taxis.


next: Bangkok and Bust
Read From The Beginning

The Sunrise Over My Future

The announcement I had been waiting for came, my flight had been called and the flock of passengers had assembled at the gate. I was leaving the UK not to return until the summer. My emotions were in a whirlwind I didn't know whether I was happy or sad, I just felt in limbo. Pulling myself together and remembering what I had promised myself I smiled handed over my boarding card and stepped through the gates. The plane was so comfortable and the selection of films was awesome I would well and truly be in heaven for the next 15 hours to Bangkok. Films were my escape, in a film you can be the star you're watching and get lost in the fantasy world that has been created for you. I last had that feeling whilst watching Man on Fire starring Denzel Washington, the emotion of the story in it is so captivating I couldn't help but be drawn in. The flight was over before I knew it and as we descended into Suvarnabhumi Airport I caught my first sight of the Bangkok skyline against a beautiful sunrise, it looked amazing in the dim light of the morning. I could not believe I had done it, I was looking out at my future. I was yet to know the strained yet wonderful relationship I was to build with that city.

Next: A Smooth Landing

Read From The Beginning

Airports and Mind Games

Ever since I was a kid I had always loved airports, whether it was the start of a trip to a new and exciting place with your beach shorts and sunglasses or returning home slightly sunburnt with tacky souvenirs for your family. At an airport you are always going somewhere, you are not stuck in a rut or standing still, the world is there and ready to explore. I had never flown from Heathrow before and was immediately struck by how massive it was, I had read that Heathrow carries over sixty million passengers a year and I could definitely believe it. The worries of the trip had subsided and excitement had taken over, I felt so ready to go and meet the amazing people I knew were out there and see the places I had read about. Slowly the excitement started to wane after two hours on the cold seating and having exhausted my game of ‘guess where they’re going’ (which you always win) I began to feel the familiar feeling of self-doubt snake back into my consciousness. I had never been a very confident person and hoped that throwing myself in at the deep end would help to overcome this. I had made myself a promise that I would be the version of me that was outgoing and fun as opposed to the slightly reclusive me who had in the past been too scared to answer the phone for fear of talking to anyone.


next: The Sunrise Over My Future
Read From The Beginning

A Sad Goodbye

The blistering cold at the lonely old train station in my sleepy home town of Coleford, Gloucestershire was biting at me whilst I sat on the hard metal chair just in cargo shorts and a shirt. I had chosen not to bring any warm clothes for the journey to Heathrow because I couldn't spare any room in the rucksack. I knew I would miss that tiny town I knew so well, it held so many memories from my childhood. I remembered going to the park at the top of town to play football with my with my parents and brother as a kid and the first time in the pub with my friends. Although the place was quiet and some would say boring it was definitely home. The 15 minute wait for the train went quickly and I soon saw the train coming around the bend to pull up at the platform. Saying good bye to my mum and dad was as difficult and emotional as I expected it to be, even my dad had a tear in his eye. They had been so good over the few weeks leading up to me leaving, reassuring me when I had reservations about going and cheering me up when I got down. They also paid for some of my vaccinations and bought the malaria tablets I would be taking everyday. The train pulled away from the station and for the first time in a week I was excited and ready for the trip. 


Next: Airports and Mind Games

Read From The Beginning

Fear and Doubt

Staring down at my brand new, pristine, rucksack going through the list I had already ticked off three times before, I suddenly felt a creeping chill go up my spine bringing panic with it. I began dreading the trip and had no wish or will to leave. I was twenty, just out of college and this being the first time I would leave the comfort and ease of my parents house I felt bolted to the floor. My only experiences of other countries so far had been family holidays in Europe where everything was provided and the most difficult decision I had to make was what I would choose from the menu. This time though I would have to find somewhere to sleep every night in every new city or place I found myself in the completely unfamiliar surroundings of South East Asia. Calming down and reassuring myself that everything would be fine and prove to be an absolutely fantastic experience that I would remember for the rest of my life I heaved my pack over my shoulder and shut the bedroom door. I would not see the house again for six months.  


Next: A sad Goodbye